327166 - No themes will download or install for thunderbird

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(Thunderbird :: Installer, defect)

Description

[chan]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.0.1) Gecko/20060111 Firefox/1.5.0.1
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.0.1) Gecko/20060111 Firefox/1.5.0.1

I have tried to download new theme's for thunderbird, I have downloaded themes for mozilla, and they worked fine, but none f the themes work for thunderbird, even the theme's i dont want. It downloads, then tells me there was a download error when i try to open it.

Reproducible: Always

Comment 1

[zug_treno]

Related to/duplicate of bug 321931?

Comment 2

[S. Bots]

I'm experiencing the same problem and it seems to me due to the fact when you are choosing <Extra><Extensions> in thunderbird and clicking "More extensions" you are linked to the "Extensions" area of Firefox rather than Thunderbird so if you want to choose a particular extension, the script thinks you are in the Firefox area so evidently it can't download a Thunderbird extension properly. The same happens when trying to download a new theme for Thunderbird. Also a warning pops up "Not able to download to Firefox". As a unfortunate result Firefox crashes too!

Stef Bots, [e-mail].

Comment 3

[Kathy]

I've tried with various versions of Thunderbird to download new themes and every time it thinks I'm trying to download a FIREFOX theme instead.  I keep getting error messages saying that the theme I'm trying to download isn't compatible with Firefox.  Would sure appreciate some help with this as it has been going on for a LONG long time.

Comment 4

[S. Bots]

I've encountered this problem too and set up a discussion about it with an onther user of Thunderbird, but we could not fix it. Below some of our reflexions.
I thionk this problem should be fixed by Mozilla itself, the downloads of extensions and themes of Thunderbird and firefox are being mingled at the download center of Mozilla. At least I think.
So I can't help but copying some of my earlier discussions!

Stef Bots.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stef,

I've been on the Firefox/Thunderbird site trying to find the appropriate person/forum in which to report of discuss what's happening.  Couldn't find anything.  So, I went to Chatzilla #thunderbird.  Don't know who goes there - probably people like me with some knowledge but little expertise.  Didn't get any info of value.

I found a program, Mozbackup, which promised to back up my Firefox bookmarks and favourites as well as my Thunderbird profile and email while allowing a complete and total removal of Thunderbird.  In this way, a new copy of would carry none of the problems forward.  Then Mozbackup could restore the email to the new version.  Sounded great so I did it.

The new version of Thunderbird works like a charm but... Mozbackup didn't.  I think I made a mistake in backing up but...  I am now the proud owner of no email from my Thunderbird accounts.  Five years of info.  Not very amusing at all.  Thankfully, I moved over to Gmail about a year and a half ago for business so all of this still exists. 

And to top it off, I recently changed, on advice from our security guys, from XP back to Win2000.  XP, as you know, has "System Restore", a feature I really like as I play around with my configurations to see if I can make them work better or make them crash in order to make them work better.  So, I'm cooked.  Maybe.  Probably.  But I'll take today to see if I can figure it out and get my email back, if somewhere in Win2000 there's an embrionic "System Restore".

Anyway, as I sat looking at an empty Thunderbird last night, it occurred to me how I should have done it (why do we always get the answer after we've screwed up?).  Here's the "grunt" answer: export your Thunderbird email to Outlook or Outlook Express (no doubt, you still have a copy somewhere on your computer).  Make sure they get there.  Write down your extensions and themes on paper.  Delete Thunderbird - everything, profile included.  Here's where your profile is stored: C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Application Data\Mozilla\Thunderbird\Profiles

Install new version of Thunderbird.  Make sure it hasn't reset to what you uninstalled - if it does revert, you haven't deleted your entire profile.  Before you set up Thunderbird to send and receive (which you'll have to do since it's entirely new), put back your extensions and see which one is the bad guy.  Either it really is a glitch from Thunderbird or, as I imagine, one of the extensions has a problem.  Once your okay with the extensions and themes, set up Thunderbird and import your email from Outlook.  Voila - you're back, good as new.  Not a satisfying answer, I know, no elegance at all; but it will work, and you won't lose any email.

That's the best I can come up with Stef, good luck with it.

Best regards,

David



On 3/10/06, Stef Bots < [e-mail]> wrote:

    David,

    No I can't get them installed after downloading, most probably because of the fact that not a proper file has been loaded.
    Your experience in mind (reinstalling Thunderbird but no improvement at all) I'm convinced that the problem lies in the website configuration of www.mozilla.com, not in the program itself as installed on our computers.
    Maybe a good thing to let Mozilla know about?

    Regards,
    Stef.


    David Macdonald Stewart schreef:

>     Thanks, Stef.  I've got the process of installing extensions to Thunderbird down - I've had them working before.  Something's happened recently, though; and I don't know what it is.
>
>     My latest effort to fix it is, in effect, to give up.  I've saved my email into "MozBackup" (I hope they're really there) and am trying to figure out how to do a completely new install.  My problem now is how to delete my profile.  I've deleted Thunderbird and re-installed but it's reverted to what it was. 
>
>     And I agree with everything you said about the difference between installing .xpi files to Firefox and Thunderbird.  Not intuitive at all.  Not sure why there isn't a pop-up offering to "Install in 1/Firefox or 2/Thunderbird" radio button - or something like that.
>
>     But you've got Thunderbird's extensions and themes working now - you can install more?
>
>     Thanks again for your comments.
>
>     David
>
>
>     On 3/10/06, Stef Bots <[e-mail]> wrote:
>
>         Hi David,
>
>         I experienced not quite but allmost the same: after the download has ended (no problems with that) an error window pops up stating no installation possible. I could not make any corrections but I have an idea of the origine of the problem: first of all there is no problem with downloading extensions and themes in Firefox but only in Thunderbird. After clicking the "More extensions" or "More themes" in the "Extensions" or "Themes" box within Thunderbird (menu option <Extra>) the program links you to the Mozilla internetpage "Add-ons Firefox" and not "Add-ons Thunderbird", leaving the user with the expectation he is strolling around in the latter. Then choosing one of the add-ons there, there will be a mismatch because of trying to load a Firefox extension in Thunderbird environment (at least I suppose).
>
>         Of course you are able to browse to the Thunderbird Add-on page. This is however, quite ellaborate: you have to move all the way to the end of the page where you'll find the option "Thunderbird Add-ons". Clicking there you arrive on the proper page. But the installation there works quite differently from the Firefox method: after clicking a feature, no automatic downloadbox pops up with a "Install" option ready to click but, instead, a new window opens mentioning the same feature but adding an instruction how to download (precisely beneath the description of the feature):
>
>             Extension Install Instructions for Thunderbird Users:
>             (1) Right-Click the link above and choose "Save Link As..." to Download and save the file to your hard disk.
>              (2) In Mozilla Thunderbird, open the extension manager (Tools Menu/Extensions)
>              (3) Click the Install button, and locate/select the file you downloaded and click "OK"
>
>         I really do not know why the installation method of Firefox and Thunderbird differ that much, to me it appears clumsy and easy to misunderstand. The Thunderbird method looks pretty old fashion too!
>
>         However, when right-clicking and saving the file to my harddisk, and opening the Extension box within Thunderbird, you must know that you'll have to press on the "Install" button, then a file opening window appears but not showing a 'xpi' file (apparently the add-on setup file extension, used by Mozilla) because the file downloaded carries the extension 'php'. Definitely there is something wrong with the installation interface of Mozilla concerning Thunderbird: no uniformity and a bug in the download facility.
>         That's all there is according to my knowledge.
>         Maybe it adds on something!
>
>         Regards,
>         Stef Bots.
>
>
>
>         David Macdonald Stewart schreef:
>         Hi,
>
>         This problem has just begun for me.  Up until a couple of days ago, I had no problem downloading or installing extensions.  Now, neither extensions nor themes will install.
>
>         I can download the extensions and save them.  I try to install by chosing Tools>Extensions (or Themes) and then "Install".  The window to where I've saved the extensions/themes opens but when I either double click or single click with "Open", nothing happens.  No error message, nothing at all.
>
>         Is this the same problem you were having?  And were you able to correct it?  I'd very much appreciate knowing how you did.
>
>         David Stewart

Comment 5

[ruben]

(In reply to comment #0)
> User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.0.1)
> Gecko/20060111 Firefox/1.5.0.1
> Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.0.1)
> Gecko/20060111 Firefox/1.5.0.1
> 
> I have tried to download new theme's for thunderbird, I have downloaded themes
> for mozilla, and they worked fine, but none f the themes work for thunderbird,
> even the theme's i dont want. It downloads, then tells me there was a download
> error when i try to open it.
> 
> Reproducible: Always
> 

Comment 6

[Gary Kwong [:gkw] [:nth10sd] (NOT official MoCo now)]

Reporter, does the issue still occur in the latest supported 2.0.0.x / Shredder trunk nightlies?

(1.5.0.x is now end-of-life and the latest supported 2.0.0.x is version 2.0.0.16)

Comment 7

[Joshua Cranmer [:jcranmer]]

RESO INCO per lack of response to question in last comment. If you feel this change was made in error, please respond to this bug with your reasons why.